Chapter 22

King/Dante

By the time Wednesday evening rolled around, I couldn't wait to spend time alone with Ella.

We had taken her kids out for dinner on Monday evening, and then I'd been invited, along with Pop, for Ella's famous lasagna last night. It was even more delicious than I'd heard, and I ended up eating two huge helpings, plus half my body weight in the homemade garlic bread she'd baked. It was worth the extra workout I'd added to my schedule today at lunchtime, though.

I had enjoyed the hell out of spending time with her kids and getting to know them a little better, but aside from a few stolen kisses here and there, I hadn't had her in my arms since Sunday afternoon.

I timed my arrival at her house so that I would be there before Clayton picked the kids up for his overnight visit. I wanted to be there in case he tried to start any shit again, but he didn't even try to get out of his G-Wagon this time.

Ella walked the kids out, and I followed just to make sure my presence was noted. I caught him eyeballing Ella through the windshield, and briefly debated dragging him out of the vehicle and beating his ass for eye-fucking my woman.

As I had requested, she was wearing the same outfit she'd worn to the anniversary party. It looked sexy as fuck on her, and I just knew that fucking dickweasel was remembering how she looked under those clothes. I actually had to force myself to unclench my fists as Mia surprised me with a quick hug goodbye before giving another, longer hug to her mother.

Neither kids said a word to their dad as they got into the SUV, and he was too busy staring at Ella's tits to acknowledge them either. I deliberately slung my arm over her shoulder and pulled her close as they closed the car doors and buckled themselves in. I knew the sight of my hand dangerously close to her killer rack would irritate the hell out of her ex. Judging by the glare he shot my way, I was right. The satisfied grin I shot back at him didn't help, although I enjoyed the hell out of it.

As we entered the high-end steakhouse a little while later, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. I hadn't been on a formal date – lunch with Ella at the diner didn't really count – in well over twenty years. I had a vague recollection of taking Christy out for a fancy anniversary dinner, a last-ditch effort at getting our marriage back on track for the boys' sake.

It hadn't worked, and a couple of months later I had the first inkling that she was sleeping around. By then, I couldn't work up the energy to give a shit, even though it was a blow to my pride.

The next few years had been filled with misery and celibacy – on my part anyway. I couldn't bring myself to touch her and made do with my hand when the need arose. Luckily, I was too busy working my ass off to get The Inferno up and running, plus taking care of the boys to have much time to think about sex.

Now, as I sat across from Ella and watched the candlelight flicker across her face, I felt like we had done this a thousand times, but at the same time it was all brand new. I wasn't sure how to explain it, and knew I'd feel like a pussy if I even tried. It just felt…right, and I knew in my heart that it was.

I listened intently as Ella talked about her day, part of which she'd had to spend at the office. She told me about discovering her talent for graphic design back in college, and how she'd had to fight with Clayton to continue working even part-time after he'd become successful at the new practice. He had wanted her to become one of those Stepford wives who spent their days sipping mimosas at brunch and playing tennis at the club. It was a status thing among his crowd, apparently, but she hadn't wanted any part of it.

I loved her independence and wanted to learn everything about her. I found myself sharing things about my life that I rarely talked about with anyone – like how fucking mad I'd been at my dad when Ace had come into our lives when I was a teenager. I'd learned the truth then about his early infidelities and discovered that he and my mom had actually separated for over a year when I'd been a baby.

Ella discreetly wiped away a tear as I told her how disillusioned I'd been with my dad, who preached loyalty to family and to the club, yet had fucked around on my mom early on. I'd felt like he was a damned hypocrite, and I'd told him so. That was the first time I'd ever seen him cry. The other two times were when my mom, and then later BeBe, had died.

My relationship with Sinner healed, thanks to my Mom, who sat me down and gave me some hard truths. Number one was that the details of her relationship with my dad back then really weren't any of my damned business. What mattered was that they had worked things out and were happy now. Number two was that people make mistakes, but good people realize when they've fucked up and they make changes. Dad had changed, and Mom had eventually forgiven him. Number three was that if she could forgive him, then I sure as hell could – and would – or she would kick my ass.

The only thing we didn't really touch on was the MC. I knew she was still leery about the club, but if there was any hope for a real future with her, I needed to know she could deal with club life. I was afraid of overwhelming her, so I decided to ease her into things.

"How would you feel about hanging out with me at the clubhouse tomorrow evening?" Ella paused with the last bite of her cheesecake on her fork, then nodded her agreement.

"I'd like that," she said, and I got the feeling she actually meant it.

"Great. I'll pick you up on my bike at six, and we can grab a bite to eat before heading over there." I knew that on a Thursday, the odds were it would be relatively tame around there, and I'd do my fucking best to make sure that was the case.

By unspoken agreement, we headed back to Ella's house when we finished at the restaurant. I debated taking her to my place, but it didn't feel right. Although it had been nearly a lifetime ago, once upon a time I'd shared that house with Christy, and I didn't want that to taint even a second of my time with Ella.

I pulled my truck to a stop in front of her garage, then reminded Ella to wait while I opened her door. She'd been shocked when I did it at the restaurant, and truthfully, I'd been a little surprised myself. I guessed the manners Sinner and Mom tried to instill in me as a kid were still buried deep down someplace, and they'd come out in full force tonight.

I helped her out of the truck, then reached into the backseat to grab my duffle bag. Ella glanced at it, then looked at me questioningly. I realized I probably should have asked, rather than assumed, but that wasn't really the way I did things, so fuck it.

"I'm hoping you'll let me stay with you tonight, so I brought a change of clothes for tomorrow."

Ella smiled then and raised herself up on her tip toes to give me a kiss on my cheek.

"I would love to have you stay with me tonight," she said softly, then took my hand and led me inside.

As much as I wanted to take her to bed and fuck her until we were exhausted, I reminded myself that I wanted even more than that from her in the long run. So, we spent a couple of hours curled up on the couch together watching a movie, or rather, Ella watched the movie, and I watched her. It was some kind of rom-com shit, and I didn't pay much attention to it other than to make a few mental notes about how to win over your woman when you fuck up. If the movie could be believed, grand gestures and dramatic speeches in the middle of the town square were the key to forgiveness. I had my doubts whether that actually worked in real life, but I supposed if it ever came down to it, I might be willing to try.

By the time the movie was winding down, our hands had started wandering. I had inched my way underneath the hem of her dress and was drawing lazy circles on her thigh with my fingers. She had been playing with the buttons on my dress shirt, slipping her fingers between them to brush my skin, before finally unbuttoning it completely.

My dick had been at half-mast for hours and was quickly coming to stand at full attention. The minute the ending credits started rolling, I grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV.

"Let's take this upstairs. I need some of your sugar before I lose my damned mind," I told her urgently.

"Thank God. I thought that movie would never end," she confessed with a grin. She pecked my lips before jumping up from the couch and almost racing up the stairs. I sat there for a few seconds in shock, then slowly got to my feet and followed after her. Dammit, I should have just taken her to bed when we got back, like I'd wanted to, instead of watching that cheesy crapfest on TV.

Ella was pulling back the covers on the bed by the time I got to her room. She had already stripped off her dress, leaving her in just a sexy bra and thong, both made of dark blue lace that matched the color of her eyes. The sight made my pulse race and my dick leak in my pants.

"Sweet Jesus, Ella, if I'd known what you had on underneath that dress, we would never have made it out of this house earlier."

She blushed as my eyes raked over her, taking in every inch of her creamy skin and those curves that were just made for sin.

I unfastened the remaining buttons on my shirt as I crossed the room, pulling the shirt tail from my dress pants and tossing it on the floor next to the bed. Ella immediately reached for me and ran her hands up over my abs and chest, trailing her fingers through the mat of hair covering my pecs.

"I love your chest. So sexy," she whispered before leaning in and kissing the same path her fingers had taken. My abs clenched at the first touch of her soft lips, and by the time she was licking and sucking on my nipples, my balls were throbbing with the need to unload inside her.

I couldn't resist touching her any longer. Within seconds, I had her bra and panties off, and her naked body plastered against me.

I buried my face in the crook of her neck and breathed in, taking comfort in the sweet sugary vanilla scent that always surrounded her. I felt her hands wriggling between us, and then she was palming my cock and balls through my pants. I breathed deeply, trying to fight for control.

"I feel so empty inside. I need you," she breathed, giving me a gentle squeeze.

"Not nearly as much as I need you, sugar, I promise you that." I pushed her down on the bed, and reached for my belt, quickly unbuckling it and sliding my zipper down. Ella sat up and scooted closer, reaching for me as I dropped my pants and boxer briefs, allowing my dick to spring free.

I shuddered as the warmth of her small hand engulfed me, followed by the wet heat of her mouth. She licked a stripe from my balls to my swollen, leaking tip, then sucked me down almost to the root. My knees almost gave out as she deep throated me, licking and sucking me until I swore she was trying to pull my soul right out of my body. I would have gladly let her, too, but I wanted more.

I tangled my fingers in her hair, fisting it and pulling her head back to look at her. The sight of her watery eyes with her mascara slightly smeared, and her plump lips reddened and even more lush than usual, nearly caused me to come on the spot.

"You look so damned gorgeous sucking on my cock, sugar, but it feels too fuckin' good. If you keep it up, I'm gonna come down your throat, and I want more than that tonight." She started to protest, but I tightened my hand in her hair and gave it a gentle tug. "I want to be buried balls-deep in the sweetest cunt in the world right now, sugar. I want to feel you clamp down on my cock, milking every last drop of cum out of me. I need you , Ella."

The smile she gave me was a mixture of wanton and reserved, sexy and sweet. It was the very embodiment of Ella, and I knew in that moment that I wanted that smile to be the very last thing I saw when I left this world, and every day in between.

She scooted back to the middle of the bed, and I quickly kicked my pants from around my ankles, taking a second to remove my socks before I joined her.

At the last second, I remembered to grab a rubber from my wallet. I tossed it onto her nightstand, then studied her as she reclined against the pillows. I climbed onto the bed, and settled over her, holding myself up on one arm to keep my weight from crushing her.

She reached for me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss that rocked my fucking world. She licked and nipped along my bottom lip, the slipped her tongue inside to duel with mine. At one point, she managed to suck my tongue into her mouth, mimicking the way she'd sucked my cock down her throat. That shit got to me, and I almost came on the spot.

I tore my mouth from hers, panting, and she flashed a wicked smile before reaching between our bodies to stroke me with her velvety soft hand. Her thumb swirled around the tip, gathering the pre-cum and using that to ease the way. I swore as she hit a particularly sensitive spot, making my body buck and my fucking toes curl against the mattress.

"You're gonna be the fuckin' death of me, sugar," I warned, then decided that turnabout was fair fucking play.

I scooted down her body, spreading her thighs and burying my face in the sweetest pussy I'd ever tasted. She cried out and her hands immediately clasped my head. I wasn't sure if she was trying to hold me close or push me away until her fingers speared through my hair, giving her leverage to rock her hips against me.

"That's it, ride my face," I ordered. My words were muffled, but she heard them and thrust her hips faster. I speared her with my tongue, fucking into her cunt and licking every drop of her sweet arousal. Her juices quickly soaked my beard as I feasted on her. Her hard little clit peaked out from its hood, begging for attention, and I was happy to oblige. I wrapped my lips around it and sucked, then slid two fingers inside her tight channel.

"God, Dante, yes, right there, love. Oh God, right there," she begged as I curled my fingers and brushed against her G-spot. She got even wetter, her sweet cream coating my fingers and making the most erotically obscene sounds in the quiet of the room. I kept it up until she was thrashing her head from side to side on her pillow, almost mindless with need.

I knew she needed a little push to fly over the edge, so I nipped at her clit, grazing it with my teeth and gently tugging on it. With a sharp cry, her body stiffened, then shook as waves of pleasure crashed through her.

Her fingers clenched in my hair to the point of pain, but I didn't move as I let her float back down.

"Oh my fucking God," she breathed raggedly, releasing her grip on my hair and running her fingers over my scalp soothingly. I surged up and over her body, swooping in for a kiss before she could say another word. She moaned, and I knew she was tasting her own tangy sweetness on my tongue.

I notched the head of my dick against her slippery core, nudging against her until I slid inside. I felt a moment of pure ecstasy before I realized I hadn't wrapped my goddamned cock. I groaned as I reluctantly pulled out, and Ella cried out as she reached for me.

"I'm sorry, sugar. Give me a second, I forgot the damned rubber." I reached for the packet on the nightstand and tore it open with my teeth, then suited up faster than I think I ever had in my life. In seconds, I was thrusting back inside her, with Ella's legs wrapped around my waist like she was never letting go.

I slammed into her over and over again, my thrusts so powerful that she had to brace one hand against the headboard to keep from sliding up the mattress. I got to my knees, and leaned over her, not breaking the connection as I grabbed onto the top of the headboard for leverage and pounded into her again.

"I can't get enough of you, sugar. I want to be buried so deep inside you that you can't breathe without feeling me there."

"Yes, yes, yes," she chanted, digging the fingernails of her other hand into my shoulder as she held on tight. "Yes, love, yes!"

My balls drew up tight and I felt my release barreling through me as I slammed home one final time. My body went rigid, then jerked as I felt ropes of cum shooting into the rubber.

As I pulled out moments later, I decided I was going to talk to Ella about ditching the protection and going bare. As soon as I could breathe and had enough blood flowing back to my brain to be able to string a coherent sentence together, anyway.

Later, after we had cleaned up in her too-small shower, I climbed naked into her bed, pulling her into my arms. She settled her head on my shoulder, and wrapped an arm around my waist, and I knew that this was how I wanted to end every night. Ella was it for me. My person. My other half. My soul mate.

I'd spent the last two decades being absolutely fucking positive that finding love just wasn't meant for me. I supposed I should be shocked to find out I was wrong, but surprisingly I wasn't. I'd known she was different from the second she'd pointed that damned knife at me and threatened to filet my dick. Every moment I'd spent with her since then, whether we were fucking, fighting, or just talking to each other, had shown me just how different she was. I just hadn't quite been ready to admit I was falling in love.

Now, I just had to figure out how the fuck to tell her. I also had to hope like hell that she was falling in love with me too. I remembered the endearment she'd used earlier. She'd called me "love", and I wondered if there was any chance she'd meant that literally, or if that was just something she'd said in the heat of passion.

Then I remembered her telling me about the last man she dated, who she'd broken things off with when he moved too fast, and developed feelings that she didn't return. That thought had a ball of dread forming in my stomach. It would be a twisted kind of karma if I was the only one falling here.

"Are you OK? I can almost feel you thinking," she teased quietly. I chuckled and held her tighter.

"I'm more than OK, sugar. I've never felt better in my life," I assured her, brushing aside my worries for the moment. Remembering the incident with the rubber, I knew we needed to talk about our medical histories. I was actually surprised she hadn't asked.

"I'm sorry about forgetting the rubber for a second, El. I swear to you that I've never gone ungloved, except in the very early days of my marriage. I've wrapped up every single damned time since then, but I still test regularly, just to be safe. Always been negative. I had a vasectomy when my sons were toddlers, so we're safe there, too."

Ella's arm tightened around my waist, and I wasn't sure if it was the because I reminded her about the rubber, or because I mentioned sex with Christy. Either way, I felt like I was fucking this up. I shifted so that I was facing her, then tipped her head up so I could look her in the eye.

"It's been about two months since my last test, but I'll go again this week, just so you have no doubts that you're safe with me. I'd love to go bare with you, sugar, if you'd be comfortable with that."

"I tested every month for six months after I found out Clayton had been cheating on me. I was on the pill, and we never used condoms, so I was terrified he'd passed something on to me. I don't know if he always used protection – I didn't bother asking, because I wouldn't have believed him anyway. Luckily, I was always negative, too. I've insisted on using them with the men I've been with since and have tested after each relationship ended. I'll get tested again, too, so you can see current results."

My jaw had clenched as I tried to fight the images in my mind of her with any other man. I was so focused on controlling my surge of jealousy that it took me a second to realize what she was saying.

"So, you'd be OK going without protection with me?" She nodded, and I felt my dick perk up at the idea. Jesus Christ, at my age, I normally needed a little longer to recover before being ready to go again. I had a feeling that with Ella, that wouldn't be a problem.

"Thank fuck, El. I can't wait to take you with nothing between us."

A few minutes later, Ella proved that she was getting just as horny thinking about it as I was. Since I didn't have any more rubbers with me, she gifted me with the absolute best fucking blow job I'd ever received, and then rode my face until she was screaming my name and coming all over my beard again.

I ended up spooning her all night long, with one hand cupping her tit and the other palming her ass. It was the best night's sleep I could ever remember having.

I woke up the next morning, and it took a second to realize where I was. I reached for Ella, only to feel a cold, empty mattress next to me.

I sat up and threw back the covers, then made a quick stop in the bathroom to take a piss and gargle with some of the mouthwash I found in the cabinet. Walking back into the bedroom, I snatched my pants off the floor and pulled them on. I'd left my duffle bag downstairs, so they would have to do for the moment.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and realized that it was still early, not quite seven o'clock yet. I knew Ella was working from home again today, but I wasn't sure what time the kids were expected back. Hopefully, not until I was fully dressed in something other than last night's clothes.

I quietly opened the bedroom door and heard the faint sound of music coming from downstairs. There was also the scent of bacon in the air, and my stomach growled as if on command.

I headed downstairs, coming to an abrupt halt as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. Ella was standing on her tiptoes, reaching up into a cabinet. She was wearing my discarded dress shirt from last night, and nothing else. The shirt had ridden up, exposing the lower curve of her bare ass, and I had the urge to drop to my knees behind her and take a bite.

I must have made a sound, because she glanced over her shoulder and smiled at me before setting two plates on the counter.

"Good morning, love. I hope I didn't wake you," she greeted me. I crossed the kitchen and reached for her, immediately lowering my head for a kiss.

"I like that," I told her once I released her lips.

"The kiss?"

I chuckled at her look of confusion. She was fucking adorable.

"Well, that too, but I was talking about you calling me ‘ love '. It's different. I like it."

She flushed, looking pleased. "My Gran was from England, so I heard that sometimes growing up. It just sort of slipped out last night."

"I approve. It's much better than what my mom called Sinner. She always called him ‘ Fuzzy '. I have no idea why and was always too afraid to ask."

Ella laughed until she had tears in her eyes, and I couldn't help but laugh, too. The timer went off on the double oven. She whirled out of my arms and dashed over to it, pulling out a tray of fluffy, golden-brown biscuits from the top oven. She brushed melted butter on the tops, and my mouth started watering.

"The bacon is in the lower oven, and it just needs a few more minutes. That will give me time to make some eggs. Is scrambled OK, or would you prefer them another way?"

"Scrambled is fine, sugar, but I'll make them. You've done more than enough."

She busied herself with pulling out several different jars of her homemade jams, along with butter and honey for the biscuits, humming along with the song playing quietly on the smart home device setting at the far end of the counter. She fixed us both a cup of coffee, and by the time I had the eggs cooked, the bacon was ready to come out of the oven.

I was in fucking heaven after my first bite of a biscuit with apple butter on it. After that, I tried the spiced peach preserves, then the triple berry jam. They were all fucking delicious, and I couldn't pick a favorite. By the time we finished eating, I knew I would need another long workout at the gym today.

I insisted on cleaning up the dishes while Ella covered the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator for her kids in case they were hungry when they got home. She assured me that they wouldn't be home until after ten. Apparently, Sabrina always dropped them off on Thursdays, and she wasn't an early riser either.

Ella propped her hip against the counter as she watched me drying the last of the dishes. I glanced at her, my eyes roaming over her and coming to rest on her bare legs.

"You look sexy as hell in my shirt, with your hair all tousled and not a bit of makeup on."

Her eyes flicked to my bare chest, and she grinned. "Thank you, kind sir. I may have had an ulterior motive for wearing it. You see, if I'm wearing your shirt, that means you can't, and I get to stare at you, and all of this." She made a circular motion toward my chest.

"Well, I'm glad you like the view then, because I sure as hell like what I'm seeing."

I pulled her in my arms, just as the song changed in the background. Her eyes lit up as the opening notes of "Leather and Lace" played.

"Oh, I love this one."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "I didn't peg you for a Stevie Nicks fan. This song was one of my mom's favorites when I was growing up. I would have thought it's a little before your time, sugar."

"I love all kinds of music, but especially the older stuff," she assured me, then started humming along.

I draped her arms around my neck and wrapped mine around her waist as we swayed and shuffled around the kitchen in time to the music. It wasn't really dancing, but close enough. I rested my cheek on top of her head, and when Don Henley's part of the song started, I began to sing softly.

" You in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes, could you ever love a man like me… "

I'd been told a time or two over the years that my raspy baritone sounded pretty good, but I rarely sang in front of anyone else. Ella seemed to like it, based on the awestruck look on her face as I continued singing until the song ended.

"That was incredible. I've never been serenaded before, let alone by a sexy, half-naked man who's dancing with me in my kitchen. It's a very romantic way to start the day," she told me as she pulled me down to her for a kiss.

I personally thought that me dropping to my knees a few minutes later and eating her out as she perched on the edge of her granite island was an even better way to start the day.

Shortly after we finished, Ella had to hurry to start her workday, so I quickly showered and dressed in the clothes I'd brought with me before heading to the clubhouse to get some of my own work done.

It was difficult to concentrate on anything by thoughts of Ella, and I found myself singing that song under my breath more than once. Unfortunately, Irish heard me, and gave me strange looks for the rest of the morning.

I headed downstairs to our small workout room just before lunchtime, rather than driving over to the MMA gym. After a pretty intense workout, I snapped a selfie of me stripped down to nothing but a pair of tight gym shorts, muscles bulging and glistening with sweat, then texted it to Ella. She responded with a picture of her staring into the camera with smoldering eyes, biting her bottom lip. I saved that picture to my phone before heading upstairs to my room to shower.

When I came back down, I spotted Diamond and DD hanging out at the bar, flirting with Hawk. He was Jagger's assistant manager, and usually handled the evening shift until close most nights, unless he was fighting in one of the Rossi's fight nights. I figured he was trying to score some pussy before his shift started in a few hours. Too bad for him, I needed to talk to the bunnies for a bit first. I'd meant to have this discussion with them before now, but it had slipped my mind. With Ella coming by tonight, I wasn't taking any chances.

"Ladies, gather the other bunnies and meet back here in fifteen minutes. We need to have a meeting to make sure we're all on the same page regarding the rules of this club."

They both hurried off to alert the others, and I clapped Hawk on the shoulder in commiseration. "Sorry to cockblock you, brother, but the meeting shouldn't take too long. You'll still have time to get your dick wet before you need to leave for the bar."

"Good, I've heard that DD and Diamond like to tag team, and I'd like to get in on that action," he smirked, and ran hand along his trademark mohawk.

I was debating on whether to try to text Ella when the bunnies all filed in and took seats around the biggest table in the common room. The looked curious about the meeting, but I detected something more from Star. She looked a little nervous, and maybe a little pissed off.

"Let me get right to the point, ladies. It's no secret that we've had more than a little bit of drama around here over the last few months, especially with Paisley and Destiny. That's why they aren't here anymore." A couple of the girls snickered, and I continued. "I don't want to see any of that shit from here on out. Ol' Ladies and girlfriends are to be respected, period. If a patched member has said he's not interested in being approached, then leave him the hell alone. Now, we don't have anything in our bylaws about married brothers seeking you out for your special services, but I'm telling you right now, I don't like it. Loyalty and fidelity mean something as far as I'm concerned, so think about that and choose your partners wisely around here."

I got nods from Diamond and Misty. Star looked angry, and DD just looked confused.

"Just so everyone here understands, Brick, Jagger, and Rome are married, and they don't even want to look at another woman. Cowboy doesn't have an official Ol' Lady yet, but he does have a serious girlfriend and isn't interested, so leave him alone. I'm also taken and not interested, so don't even try it with me. Sinner is off-limits, too, but as far as I know, everyone else is fair game. If they don't want you, they'll let you know, and you will back off. As always, you're free to say no if you're approached, too. The bottom line is there is to be no goddamned drama. Got it? Oh, and make sure you're fuckin' dressed when you're here during the day. There shouldn't be tits and pussies flashing around here until after nine o'clock every night."

All four women nodded then, and I smiled, trying to soften the verbal dressing-down I'd just delivered. "You ladies are important to this club, and I want this to be a good situation for all of us, you included. If you have any problems or any questions, you come to me, Cowboy, or Trick for help. Now, one final thing. I have a guest coming to hang out at the clubhouse tonight. I want this place cleaned up, starting with scrubbing down the kitchen and the main bathrooms. Then make sure the common room is swept and dusted."

Diamond, Misty, and DD nodded and quickly left to get started, but I motioned for Star to stay behind.

"I should have addressed this before, but I've been busy, and I let it slide then. That stunt you pulled in my office the day Ella came by for lunch will not happen again. Do you understand?"

"So, she's gonna be your Ol' Lady?"

I gritted my teeth, not about to discuss this with Star before I talked to Ella about it. "She's a woman I'm seeing and a friend of my family, and she'll be treated with respect, or you'll answer to me."

She nodded tearfully, but I thought I saw a hint of defiance flash across her face. "I mean it, Star. You already have two strikes against you. Don't fuck up again or you're out of here."

I turned on my heel, ready to get the rest of the day over with so I could see Ella again. I spent some time cleaning up my office, which always seemed to be a fucking disaster zone since Abby wasn't helping us out anymore. She had helped us with administrative shit for the last few years but had quit after Rome had cheated last fall. She just couldn't face spending time around the clubhouse, and I couldn't blame her for that. She'd taken a job in the office at the school Molly and Michelle were at, which happened to be the same school that Ethan attended, so it worked out well for her.

Once my office looked presentable, I ran upstairs to my room to check on it. I hadn't stayed here much lately, so I really just need to wipe down the bathroom and change the sheets on my bed, just in case Ella and I ended up here before the evening was over.

I prowled around the clubhouse, looking for anything that needed to be taken care of before Ella arrived. I had debated sending a text out to the brothers warning them to be on their best behavior but decided against it. For one thing, I knew they would give me nothing but shit over it. More importantly though, Ella needed to accept the MC for better or worse. I wanted to put our best foot forward tonight, but trying to pretend we were something we weren't would only backfire in the end. The best I could hope for would be to ease her into it, so that by the time she did attend a wild party – or see us at our worst – she wouldn't run for the hills.